This is mega buttery and moist New York-style crumb cake with EXTRA brown sugar cinnamon crumb topping. Yes, the crumb topping is just as thick as the cake layer! The topping is soft, not crunchy, and the cake is perfectly sweet. If you’re looking for a classic go-to crumb cake recipe, this one’s mine. You’ll fall in love too.
I’ve published a plethora of crumb cake/coffee cake/breakfast cake recipes on my website. One of my forever favorites has been (and will always be!) my apple crumb cake. Usually prepared a few times during the fall months, this tall towering beauty is buttery, moist, and absolutely LOADED with a soft crumb topping. Readers have loved this breakfast cake too.
My sour cream crumb cake recipe is similar—soft and cakey—though smaller and comes with fewer crumbs on top. Last month, I decided to combine both recipes to make a “plain” crumb cake that’s just as irresistible as my apple version and still boasts those delicious brown sugar cinnamon flavors.
That’s where we land on my New York-style crumb cake recipe.
Perfect New York-Style Crumb Cake
When I asked bakers for their opinion on what makes crumb cake “New York style”, most said the description means extra crumb topping with a soft and buttery tight-crumbed (but not dense) cake underneath. Today’s recipe checks all those boxes. Some highlights:
- Soft, yet sturdy cake layer
- Same ingredients used in both layers
- Crumb topping as thick as the cake itself
- Topped with a dusting of powdered sugar
- Crumb topping is soft (not hard or crunchy)
It’s perfect.
Ingredients for Crumb Cake
This is a butter and sour cream based cake (two powerhouse ingredients in my classic coffee cake recipe as well), so you already know it’s going to be flavorful, tender, and moist. The ingredients in the cake and crumb topping are mostly the same, which is extra convenient—especially since you’re likely making this before you’ve had your morning coffee. Good morning!
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the structure of this cake. It’s sturdy enough to support the thick wet ingredients and crumb layer on top.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder: Baking soda and baking powder help the cake rise.
- Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cake.
- Butter: Butter adds flavor and provides structure in the creaming process.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is the star of the show. It helps us achieve texture bliss—this cake is a little heavier than fluffy white cake. It has tight crumbs like pound cake, but it’s not quite as dense. Somewhere in between both cakes!
- Eggs: Three eggs add moisture and bind the cake together.
- Salt + Vanilla Extract: Use both for flavor.
- Cinnamon: We can’t have crumb cake topping without cinnamon!
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar promises a soft, moist, sweet, and flavorful crumb topping layer.
Overview: How to Make New York-Style Crumb Cake
- Make the crumb topping. I like to make the crumb first so it’s ready to go as soon as the cake batter is done.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Cream butter and sugar together. Then add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat until combined. The mixture may look curdled—that’s OK and simply a result of varying textures/temperatures trying to emulsify.
- Combine wet & dry ingredients. The batter will be thick and creamy.
- Spread batter into pan. A 9×13-inch baking pan is best for this volume of batter.
- Add crumb topping to the top of the cake. Press it down so it sticks.
- Bake. If you find the top and/or edges of the cake are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil. This is a large cake, so it takes at least 45-50 minutes to bake through.
Feel free to dust with confectioners’ sugar right before serving, too!
Soft (Not Crunchy) Crumb Topping
Now it’s time to chat about that luxurious crumb topping. Have you ever had crunchy streusel topping before? It’s good, but not quite what I’m delivering to you today. This crumb topping is thick and soft, as long as it’s not over-mixed or over-baked. Think of it like soft cookie crumbles on top of your breakfast cake. YES!
We use the same crumb topping, but scaled down, for cranberry Christmas cake and blackberry cream cheese crumb cake. Give those both a try!
3 Tricks to the Best Crumb Topping
- Follow the order of ingredients. First, mix brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt together. Stir in melted butter. Finally, use a fork to lightly mix in the flour. If you add the flour before the butter, the flour will absorb it all before the sugar can.
- Do not over-mix. You want a crumbly topping, so don’t over-mix the ingredients after you add the flour. If you mix everything too much, you’ll end up with paste instead of big crumbles. Yes, I’m literally telling you to do LESS!
- Press the topping into the cake. When you add the crumble topping on top of the cake batter, gently press it down into the cake layer so it sticks.
Cake for breakfast is always a good idea. This crumb layer is half of the entire cake and I haven’t heard any complaints about that! Nothing short of a dream.
Treat Yourself with These Breakfast Recipes
- Monkey Bread (cinnamon roll bites!)
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Quiche and Mini Quiche (so many flavors!)
- Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
- Buttermilk Waffles (my favorite!)
- Easy Frittata Recipe
New York Style Crumb Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is my favorite recipe for classic New York-style crumb cake. The cake is buttery and moist and you’ll definitely enjoy the thick crumb topping!
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Cake
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- optional: confectioners’ sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line with parchment paper. You can use a glass, ceramic, or metal baking pan. The bake time is similar for each, but use a toothpick to test for doneness. Metal baking pans cook cakes faster. Set pan aside.
- Make the crumb topping: Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter, then gently mix the flour using a fork. Keep the mixture as large crumbles, do not over-mix. If over-mixed, this will turn into a thick paste. Set aside.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the eggs, sour cream, and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. The mixture may look curdled; that’s ok. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients until smooth. Do not over-mix. The batter will be thick, creamy, and sticky.
- Spread the batter evenly into prepared baking pan. Top with crumb topping. Using a silicone spatula or the back of a large spoon, press the crumb topping tightly down into the cake so it sticks.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours and begin checking at 45 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to slightly cool for at least 30-45 minutes before cutting. If desired, dust with confectioners’ sugar before slicing and serving. Use a sifter/fine mesh sieve.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare cake through step 7. Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, add icing if desired, and serve.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Sifter/Fine Mesh Sieve
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is a key ingredient in this cake. I don’t suggest subbing the sour cream with a liquid—plain full-fat yogurt would work though. I don’t recommend removing fat from this cake by using a lower fat yogurt or sour cream alternative.
- Room Temperature: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read here for more information on room temperature ingredients.
- Crumb Cake Muffins: Interested in making this cake into muffins? Standard size muffins (12 count muffin pan) or jumbo size muffins (6 count muffin pan) are best—I don’t recommend mini muffins because the crumbs are too large. Grease muffin cups or line muffin pan(s) with liners. Fill with batter to the near top of the muffin cup. Press crumbs tightly on top of the batter to help prevent them from falling off as the muffins rise. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and continue to bake for 15-17 for regular size muffins (20-22 minutes total) or another 22-23 minutes for jumbo size muffins (27-28 minutes total). Yields at least 2 dozen standard muffins and 10 jumbo muffins.
Keywords: cake, crumb cake, breakfast cake
I am making this today but not serving until tomorrow. After I let the cake cool, do I cover and refrigerate until tomorrow or can I cut into squares after cooling and cover them tightly before dusting with confectionery sugar tomorrow and serving. This was a big venture for christening my first KitchenAid mixer and had some flying batter but it smells and looks very good! We will see tomorrow.
Hi Ilene! The cake can be covered and stored at room temperature overnight.
This is my go to crumb cake recipe. What would the time be for an 8×8 pan?
★★★★★
Hi Monica, you can halve this recipe for an 8-inch pan. Same baking temperature, but we’re unsure of the exact bake time. You can use the baking time from this coffee cake as a guide. Glad to hear this is a favorite for you!
★★★★★
Love the cake. I grew up 2 blocks from a German bakery in north Jersey. Looking for softer crumbs that jump off the plate when touched by a fork or land on my shirt when eaten out of
hand. May try 10XXX mixture.
This is my new go-to crumb cake recipe!! So moist and delicious-perfect crumb and total YUM!❤️
★★★★★
I love this recipe so much! I always get rave reviews when I make it. I was just wondering though, could I make it in an aluminum 9x13in pan? I want to bring this to my coworkers but don’t feel like using my glass Pyrex pan.
★★★★★
Hi Seevahn, absolutely!
I keep coming back to this recipe again and again. SO GOOD. Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi! I made this for my mom’s birthday and it was a big hit! Weirdest thing happened though. The butter from the crumb topping seemed to separate from the flour. There were chunks of butter on top. I noticed this after I sprinkled powder sugar on top. Any idea why this would happen? I followed the directions very closely.
Hi Michelle, that’s definitely odd. Did the butter not melt in the oven?
The cake base for this sounds perfect. Any suggestions for a thick *crunchy* streusel?
Hi Barbara, reducing the butter could help achieve a crispier/crunchier streusel/crumb topping.
Thank you – will give it a go.
Hi!! Would it be possible to make the crumb and the batter ahead of time, leaving both in the fridge, and then bake it the following day? If so, should I keep the crumb topping and the cake batter separate when doing so? Thanks so much, this recipe is exactly what I was looking for!
Hi Maddie! No, we don’t recommend it because the cake will likely not rise correctly if mixed ahead of time. See recipe notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions!
OMG! This by far is the best crumb cake I’ve ever made. It’s THAT good! I knew from the aroma in the kitchen that it was going to be tasty. So moist and just delightful!
★★★★★
I have made this recipe several times for my family and they love it. It disappears quickly.
★★★★★
Can this be adapted to a 9 x 5 loaf pan?
Hi Dee, this will fit into two loaf pans. We are unsure of the bake time for a loaf pan. Be sure to test with a toothpick – it will be done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
This is a very random question, but is it possible to just bake the crumbs in a pan without the cake? Everyone here keeps eating the crumbs off the top and leaving the cake behind, so I thought if I could just make the crumbs, it would save me some steps! Thank you!
Hi Dee, we can’t see why not! Bake time will be shorter so keep an eye on them.
When baking, I typically swap out sour cream with creme fraiche but your comment in the notes about fat made me check the fat content and creme fraiche looks much higher. Given that, I presume a swap out would be okay?
Hi J, we haven’t tested it but imagine that should work just fine here. Let us know how it goes!
All my crumb sank to the bottom and was super oily. Weighed everything out so should I cut back on butter or could it be the oven temp?
Hi JY, did you happen to make any ingredient substitutions or changes? All the cake ingredients are important for a sturdy cake that can hold up the crumb topping. Also make sure not to over-mix your crumb topping. You want big crumbles, otherwise if it’s pasty and overworked, it will sink. Hope you still enjoyed the cake!
so good! Sally – I could have sworn you had a blueberry crumb cake recipe! I can’t seem to locate it! 🙁
★★★★★
Hi Michelle, could you be thinking of this blackberry crumb cake recipe? Or raspberry almond crumb cake?
Please help me if you can, I have no idea what I did wrong but my crumb topping was super crunchy. I know you said your crumb is soft and was exactly what I wanted. I’m positive I messed up some home but was wondering if you could think of something I may have done wrong. This was a practice cake for a party I’m having next week and was hoping maybe you can help me figure out what I did wrong. Thanks for any help you can give.
★★★★★
Hi Leslie, I’m sorry to hear that! It sounds like it may have been over-baked. If you try it again, less time in the oven should help, and if you notice the top browning before the cake is cooked through, you can loosely cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent the top from over-browning. Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for getting back to me. Your right because after about 30 minutes I smelled a change . It went from wow this smells great to OMG I still have 15 minutes left
Sally- is this recipe the same as the one for the 8-inch pan? Thanks, Lesley
Hi Lesley, are you referring to this coffee cake recipe? It is different.
Egg sub recommendations so the recipe isn’t compromised? Would love to make it this weekend!
Hi Purvi, we haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes, but let us know if you try anything!
I’ve made this recipe 3 times and each time the cake comes out dark in color. It doesn’t come out like the light colored cake associated with crumb cake. I used light brown sugar and followed all the steps for the cake. Do you know why this is happening???
Hi Julie, how is the texture? If the cake is overly brown, it sounds like it may be over baked a bit (which can make it dry as well). Or, is your pan especially dark? That could be causing the cake to bake up darker as well.
I had the same problem – cake turned out dark, not yellow. I used a glass pan and don’t think I overbaked it (cake is moist). Maybe the brown sugar/cinnamon seeped into the batter during cooking??
Hi Sally, Can I substitute sour cream for buttermilk?
Hi Theresa, Sour cream is a key ingredient in this cake. We don’t suggest subbing the sour cream with a liquid.
Hi Sally,
Your recipes are delicious!
Your snickerdoodle’s are my family favorite! Could I make coffee cake night before, put it in the fridge and bake in the morning? Wanting to make some and share with co-workers.
Hi Mari, we don’t recommend it. The leaveners are activated once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together, so it’s best to bake the batter right away or the rise and texture will be compromised. Hope this helps!
I have made this recipe often and was asked to make large quantities for a church-wide function. Any suggestions on large batching this? Can I freeze it so that I can make some ahead of time?
★★★★★
Hi Valerie! We always recommend making multiple batches instead of multiplying the recipe for best results. See recipe notes for freezing instructions!
If I make this cake with the maple glaze in advance, can I freeze it in an airtight container with the glaze on it?
Hi Marcy, we have found that adding the glaze after removing from the freezer and thawing works best.
I just took this cake out of the oven and it smells amazing – I can’t wait to taste it! The only problem is that my crumb topping sank down into the cake, so it’s not so much a topping. I’m sure it will taste amazing, but what did I do wrong?? Has this happened to anyone else??
★★★★★
Hi Shelly, did you happen to make any ingredient substitutions or changes? All the cake ingredients are important for a sturdy cake that can hold up the crumb topping. Also make sure not to over-mix your crumb topping. You want big crumbles. Hope you love the cake!
This is one of my go-to recipes for brunch, holidays, etc. It’s simple but so delicious! Everyone I make it for asks for the recipe! Because it makes SO much crumb cake, it takes us quite a while to get through. I’ve noticed that after day 2 or so, the cake begins to dry out, likely because it’s a butter-based cake. Could I swap out half of the butter for oil to make it stay moist longer? Appreciate any insight! Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Hi Nicole, we haven’t tested it that way so are unsure of the results. If you try it, please report back!
This crumb cake is always a winner! May I half all of the ingredients and bake in an 8×8 pan instead? If so, does the bake time remain the same??
★★★★★
Hi Amy, absolutely! Use an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan. The oven temperature stays the same, but the oven time will be shorter. Enjoy!
Thank YOUUU Lexi! And I forgot to ask, should I use 2 eggs?? I noticed the original recipe uses 3 eggs after I sent initial message! Beyond grateful.
Hi Amy! Use 1.5 eggs – Our general rule for halving an egg is to crack it open, beat the yolk and white together with a fork, measure the volume (should be a few Tbsp), then use half.
OMG. This is Sally’s 7th recipe I’ve used since the holidays and tbh, after the 2nd recipe, I no longer search for other recipes. Sally is my go-to girl! I live in high elevation (Colorado Springs) and all of the recipes I’ve made do not need any altering! Like many others I grew up in NY and knew very well what a good crumb cake taste like! I can’t believe I pulled this offf with following the recipe to a T. I used a 9×13 glass Pyrex because that is what I have and it worked just fine! Worried about a “pastey” top, I mixed the crumble up with my hands after sitting out and drying up just a bit & just before layering it on the cake batter; this helped a ton. I also poked holes in the cake batter before adding the crumb hoping to avoid bubbling. I noticed some crumb browning on one side after 40 minutes and turned it around in the oven, baked for another 10 minutes. The result: beautiful moist and scrumptious crumb cake!! Sally for the WIN! Sally’s baking addiction is definitely wearing on me and I’m not mad 🙂
This cake is perfection!! I tried making this cake twice. The first time I overbaked it. The second time I baked it for less time and it was perfect! Everyone’s ovens and pans are different so just be sure to check it while baking. For reference I used a 9 by 13 glass pan and baked it between 38 and 40 minutes. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks Sally!
★★★★★
Just made this and it turned out awesome! I think someone’s tip to let the melted butter cool before using was helpful. I even halved everything for one 8×8 pan and it still worked beautifully–cook time was 38 min but I could have done a min less I think. Thanks for this recipe! Good enough to serve to guests!
★★★★★